Phase 2 study set for COPD-related sarcopenia treatment

Elderly woman exercise walking in backyard with caregiver.

Belgium-based pharmaceutical company Rejuvenate Biomed is partnering with the University of Leicester in England, along with the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Liecester Biomedical Research Center and global research funding company Wellcome Leap Inc. on a phase 2 clinical trial in patients with COPD-related sarcopenia.

While COPD primarily affects the lungs, the group said in a news release that it can also extend beyond the respiratory system with conditions like impaired skeletal muscle mass and function, also known as sarcopenia.

In an earlier phase 1b trail, Rejuvenate Biomed’s combination drug RJx-01 demonstrated potential as an oral treatment for sarcopenia, showing meaningful improvements in muscle strength, function and fatigue resistance in people with disuse-induced muscle weakness.

The new double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will evaluate the safety and tolerability of the treatment in 130 older people who have been hospitalized with severe acute exacerbation of COPD. The study will also look at the effects of the drug on physical function, muscle strength and fatiguability.

“Muscle wastage is a significant burden for many of our COPD patients and it can impact on their ability to recover, particularly when they are in the hospital and experiencing exacerbations,” said Neil Greening, associate professor at the University of Leicester, in the news release. “Finding ways to maintain muscle function is increasingly important, which is why we’re delighted to be working with Rejuvenate Biomed on this world-first study.”

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